Workplace communication is the manner by which employees exchange information and ideas

within an organization. Communication is a crucial aspect to achieve organizational objectives and

get any job done, whether in-person or virtually.

Communication in the workplace isn’t just about how well you work with others. It’s about building
relationships, minimizing errors, and most importantly, working as productively as possible. 

Workplace communication plays a vital role in the development of an organization and is a central
aspect in completing any job. Without communication there will be limited progress on tasks,
projects, and the development of company goals. 

Productivity is strongly dependent on good communication. Where good workplace

communication provides common goals, fosters teamwork, and creates company rapport,
ineffective workplace communication can have detrimental consequences to a project or business
partnership, such as production mistakes or missed deal-breaker meetings with investors. 

Encouraging good communication habits throughout the workplace can be one of the most crucial
things you do as a leader. Because the numbers don’t lie

What is effective workplace

communication?
Effective communication occurs when a message is sent and received accurately. Just because you
believe you are communicating ideas and information properly in your organization, does not
necessarily mean it is effective.

Good communication can boost teamwork and lead to better project collaboration. It applies to
practically every industry. 

Workplace communication is important for streamlining internal communication. Maintaining effective

communication ensures that management and the team below them are on the same page. That
means that employees are confident with the work at hand and managers are assured that team
members are correctly undertaking that work. 

But remember, workplace communication and business communication are different. Both are
important to a company’s success going forward.

What are good communication

skills to have?
Whether you are an enterprise or a small business, having good communication from top to bottom is
essential. Part of having good communication is understanding a “shared meaning.” This refers to the
real information being understood by each party involved, using words that mean the same to
everyone, especially when it’s industry-specific terminology.  
Even managers can have a hard time communicating. This comes from an Interact survey asking
employers how they feel about communicating with their employees. The graph below demonstrates
how managers feel in certain situations with employees:

What does good communication look like?

 Good communication provides purpose and a common goal.
 Good communication can prevent misunderstandings and avoid confusion.
 Good communication stimulates team building and boosts company culture.
 Good communication encourages employee engagement and improves morale.
 Good communication often results in a more productive and talented workforce.

Here are the top 5 ways to better communicate in the workplace.

1. Meetings

It sounds simple, but it’s often not practiced enough. Listening to others is arguably the most
important communication skill you can have. If you find you’ve got the tendency to talk over others,
then try to be more patient. You will get the opportunity to make your point when they’re finished—
especially if you’re the boss. 

When employees feel like they’re being listened to, they feel more valued and appreciated and creates
a more collaborative culture. It also gives you the chance to understand issues or concerns about a task
from an employee’s perspective. This can improve employee engagement.

2. Brevity for effective workplace communication

Speak to any successful business manager and they’ll all mention that time is their most important
asset. When discussions are dragged out, not only can this dilute the importance of the message, but
it can also over-complicate it. Keep your communication brief and to the point. 

3. Clarification

Don’t presume the other person understands what you’re saying. Similarly, don’t be afraid to speak
up if you need clarity on something. Asking questions can help you to gain a better understanding of
certain situations, and you should always be encouraging your employees to ask you if they’re
unsure. 

Not only can this improve relations with employees, but it can also help to minimize errors.
Sometimes a simple question to double-check can save mistakes from happening.

4. Communication style

In order to give them the best service possible, you need to refine your communication style. Perhaps
you like to schedule a call and then follow up with some meeting notes. On the other hand, maybe
you prefer to video call and catch up with a phone call later on down the line. Either way, you need to
make an effort to establish a routine, so your colleagues and clients know what to expect.

This also refers to the frequency of communication. If you respond a minute after your client contacts
you, then they’re going to become accustomed to that high level of communication, which you may
not always be able to deliver. 

5. Open-mindedness
Open-mindedness is another good communication skill to have. It allows you to enter a conversation
free of judgment or preconceived ideas, giving the person speaking the confidence to explain new
ideas that could potentially benefit the business. 

If you’re quick to shut things down, then employees will be less inclined to tell you their ideas. Your
conversations will be less honest, and less productive because of this. By keeping an open mind
you’re willing to enter into a dialogue with someone whose opinion you may not agree with, and you
may surprise yourself by the end of it. 

5 reasons why communication is important for

your business
The importance of strong communication runs deep within a business. Here are five key
reasons you should be paying attention:

Team building – Building effective teams is really all about how those team members
communicate and collaborate together. By implementing effective strategies, such as
those listed below, to boost communication you will go a long way toward building
effective teams. This, in turn, will improve morale and employee satisfaction.

Gives everyone a voice – As mentioned above, employee satisfaction can rely a lot on
their having a voice and being listened to, whether it be in regards to an idea they have
had or about a complaint they need to make. Well-established lines of communication
should afford everyone, no matter their level, the ability to freely communicate with their
peers, colleagues and superiors.

Innovation – Where employees are enabled to openly communicate ideas without fear of
ridicule or retribution they are far more likely to bring their idea to the table. Innovation
relies heavily on this and an organisation that encourages communication is far more
likely to be an innovative one.

Growth – Communication can be viewed both internally and externally. By being joined
up internally and having strong lines of communication you are ensuring that the message
 you are delivering externally is consistent. Any growth project relies on strong
communication and on all stakeholders, whether internal or external, being on the same
wavelength.

Strong management – When managers are strong communicators, they are better able
to manage their teams. The delegation of tasks, conflict management, motivation and
relationship building (all key responsibilities of any manager) are all much easier when you
are a strong communicator. Strong communication is not just the ability to speak to people
but to empower them to speak to each other – facilitating strong communication channels
is key.

4 Powerful Benefits of Workplace Communication

1 – Good Communication Mitigates Conflict
One of the times an organization is most likely to seek communication training is when there’s clear tension or
conflict in the workplace. Regardless of the conflict, communication is usually an underlying factor.
Conflict typically comes down to:
Misunderstanding/feeling misunderstood. Even when someone feels like they are communicating well, if the
person to whom they’re speaking has a different communication pattern then there may be a misunderstanding.
With communication tools such as identifying communication patterns and making small communication
adjustments, new information can be dispensed in a way that is easy and clear to understand, and the listener can
better communicate their understanding.
Not understanding how others communicate. Miscommunication also comes down to communication patterns.
When someone hasn’t undergone an individual or team communication program, they default to presenting
information using their own communication pattern instead of considering the communication pattern of the receiver.
Someone feeling their emotional needs is not being met or are being disregarded. If an employee feels
disrespected, taken advantage of, or disregarded, then it may lead to tension or conflict. A better-communicating
team lays the groundwork for expressing and understanding needs, which also increases employee engagement
and performance.
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Explore in-person & virtual workplace communication workshops for teams, individuals, & leaders.

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2 – Good Communication Increases Employee Engagement

Communicating is more than just talking. It’s about connecting with people. One of the most powerful benefits of
better communication in the workplace is more engaged employees. Employees are more engaged in their work
and can better align with company objectives and goals when a culture of good communication is established in a
team or workplace.
Communication can improve employee engagement in the following ways:
 Gives you tools to better understand the needs and goals of your employees.
 Allows you to better understand what motivates and fulfills the employee.
 Better understanding of employees’ talents and skills that may otherwise go unnoticed.
 Ability to cultivate talents and skills in a way that develops them in line with company goals.
 Improved connection between co-workers for a more positive and satisfying work environment.
 Better relationship with managers and leaders
3 – Good Communication Creates Better Client Relationships
This one is a biggie if you have client-facing employees since client interactions are usually the difference between
a satisfied customer and a disgruntled one. When your employees are trained to communicate more effectively and
to connect with others they can better:
 Mitigate and resolve conflict
 Understand needs
 Help the customer feel understood
 Present new information in a way in which the client will be more receptive

4 – Good Communication Results in a More Productive & Talented

Workforce
Employee engagement is a significant factor in the productivity of a workforce. But besides contributing to increased
employee engagement, communication skills can also help foster a more productive and talented workforce in many
other ways:
Understanding team talents & skills. In a company culture focused on connecting with others, managers better
understand the talents and skills of their workforce. Some communication patterns aren’t forthcoming with their
talents and skills, or express them in ways a fast-paced or high-level-thinking communicator won’t naturally notice.
Mastering the identification of communication patterns empowers a leader to better understand the skills and talents
of their team.
Achieving more buy-in. With the right communication tools, a leader can influence initiative buy-in from their team.
Innovation and creative thought. A workplace that communicates more effectively establishes a “safe” place for
people to think creatively and express their ideas. It helps employees feel more comfortable taking ownership for
challenges and projects, and typically results in more creative brainstorming or problem-solving initiatives.
More strategic team building. Understanding communication patterns gives a leader more information about their
employees, and often information they would have otherwise overlooked. This powerful insight lets the leader make
more strategic decisions on delegation, employee development, team development, and strategic initiatives to drive
business success.

How can you improve how your organisation

communicates?
With 40 years of recruitment experience, we understand the value of good
communication. Below, we’ve outlined some of the key areas where organisations can
improve and enhance communication between their teams.

 Define goals and expectations – Managers need to deliver clear, achievable goals
to both teams and individuals, outlining exactly what is required on any given project,
and ensuring that all staff are aware of the objectives of the project, the department
and the organisation as a whole.
 
 Clearly deliver your message – Ensure your message is clear and accessible to
your intended audience. To do this it is essential that you speak plainly and politely –
getting your message across clearly without causing confusion or offence.
 
 Choose your medium carefully – Once you’ve created your message you need to
ensure it’s delivered in the best possible format. While face-to-face communication is
by far the best way to build trust with employees, it is not always an option. Take time
to decide whether information delivered in a printed copy would work better than an
email or if a general memo will suffice.
 
 Keep everyone involved – Ensure that lines of communication are kept open at all
times. Actively seek and encourage progress reports and project updates. This is
particularly important when dealing with remote staff.
 
 Listen and show empathy – Communication is a two-way process and no company
or individual will survive long if it doesn’t listen and encourage dialogue with the other
party. Listening shows respect and allows you to learn about any outstanding issues
you may need to address as an employer.

 Helpful tools to foster effective team

communication.
Communication tools and collaborative platforms are now, more than ever, integral parts of a
company toolkit. Depending on the company and team size, structure, and needs, employees might
use a handful of tools for internal and external communication. 

Choosing the right communication tool for your company hinges on various factors and required
features which need to be addressed and defined before starting your search. Although team
collaboration tools certainly are beneficial to team and project management, good communication
and engaged employees are the top two elements of effective team collaboration, so in some cases,
this should be something to work on prior to choosing a tool. 

There are companies that believe implementing a tool will automatically make the team and
processes more efficient. Sadly, this is not the case; therefore, the effectiveness of team task
management systems should be monitored over a period of time and adjusted if needed. 

The primary goal of any communication medium is to maximize connectivity. Many companies
utilise diverse and distinctive tools for communication and collaboration. We’ve listed five
standard tools used for workplace communication:

1. Email is here to stay.

Probably the most common form of workplace communication is via email. Well suited for both
internal and external communication, several companies have tried to replace email with chat.
Employee intranet apps and chatbots have helped foster communication in sectors like customer
service and sales, however other sectors like press and business relations continue to be handled
best via email and scheduled meetings. 

If your company requires an upgrade and centralization of email conversations for business,
switching to an email provider with customer relationship management (CRM) features can help
boost the performance of your email outreach. 

2. Project management tools are becoming common for personal and professional use.

Many companies and individuals are riding the wave on the mindset of agile work. Project
management has crossed from corporate to consumer use with plenty of software to choose from
with unique features for every need. 

The use of project management tools is multifaceted. Most software is great for team collaboration
(like Zenkit ;)) as well as a suitable tool helping keep University students organized and productive.
If your team or company requires shared dashboards to keep tasks updated and team members
informed of project progress, safe to say we recommend considering using a project management
tool.   

3. Integrating chat into the workflow.

It’s no surprise that chat is considered a standard form of communication. Plenty of teams have a
personal employee chat software where employees and teams can communicate and collaborate
over anything work related (or send pictures of their dog!). 

Corporate chat apps provide unique features best suited for the workplace environment. These tools
are preferred by many to keep personal and professional communication separate. Company chat
tools are common within international companies with dispersed teams and hubs. Nonetheless, chat
apps are continuing to become more of a mainstream method of communication within any size or
type of company. 

While some chat apps focus on communicating via channels and integrating a centralized location
for workplace communication and data storage, others specialize in combining chat with task
management (like Zenchat ;)). If your email inbox quickly gets overrun with chat-like conversation,
we think it’s time to acknowledge the need for a company chat tool.

4. Meetings get a makeover.

Although many employees like to complain about sitting in meetings that could have easily been
emails, meetings are an indispensable part of work life. Tools have no control over how meetings
are run, but they certainly can provide opportunities and features that assist team collaboration and
communication.

The pandemic has forced the world to go digital. And with this need, virtual meeting tools have
quickly become part of the most used software for business and leisure. Due to the increasing
demand of virtual meeting tools, developers have been working at full speed to meet demands for
features that allow teams and individuals to replicate in-person meetings as best as possible. 

5. Storing everything in the Cloud.

Classic search engines may have us believe that data is pulled from space, however all our data is
actually stored in the Cloud. We produce and store significant amounts of data. In fact, we
collectively produce shy 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day! On a normal day, 306.4 billion
emails and 500 million Tweets are sent. (Techjury)

Companies with huge data centers ranging from sizes of football fields to small towns provide
users the ability to store, access and distribute data via the Internet. Upgrading to the Cloud is one
of the most beneficial, if not essential, procedures companies should do and invest in. 

Photo credits: krakenimages and Surface via Unsplah, GIF 01 and GIF 02 via Giphy

 

As you can probably tell, good communication has an important role in the workplace. The
pandemic has shifted the way in which we communicate and the role communication plays in our
daily lives. Who would’ve thought that the entire world would begin to live a nearly virtual life,
with working from home and online school become the “new normal”. 

Either way, we hope you are staying safe and able to continue life with the help of digital tools.
Whether you use project management or team chat tools for professional or personal use, we’d love
to know which are your favorite and why.

Tips on how to have effective communication at work:

 Give clear instructions on tasks and state what results are expected.
 Encourage open discussion and feedback exchange.
 Communicate frequently and with transparency.
 Provide specific and descriptive constructive criticism.
 Schedule regular employee check-ins.
 Use the right tools for your business.
 Organize team building activities.
 Continually work on your communication development.